


Included - Outcast: Book 2 (Or The Lightwood-Bane Chronicles)

by HighWarlockMegaraBane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments (Movies), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, M/M, Magnus is a shadowhunter, Max is alive, OC Shadowhunter family, alec is a warlock, for once in these fics, if you don't read outcast first you might be really confused, sequel oneshots to Outcast, tags will update as chapters update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 15:38:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16020917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighWarlockMegaraBane/pseuds/HighWarlockMegaraBane
Summary: Sequel to my story 'Outcast'. A collection of oneshots in no particular order but many with an underlying plot that will culminate in the last chapter! Many of these take place during Outcast, and all will center around Alec Bane / Magnus Lightwood. Chapter count will vary depending on how many I write - currently sitting somewhere around 6 or 8 of them.





	Included - Outcast: Book 2 (Or The Lightwood-Bane Chronicles)

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Outcast, you should probably do that. If you don't want to read Outcast, here's a basic character overview:
> 
> Alec is a warlock born to Shadowhunter parents. Magnus is a Shadowhunter orphaned at a young age who lives at the New York Institute. These oneshots are set after the fall of the Circle and either during or after the events of Outcast (each chapter will be specified).
> 
> They won't be nearly as long as the chapters in Outcast tended to be, and some will be longer than others. Each chapter will have a different rating - most will be T for safety - but one I have planned WILL BE MATURE (for reasons I'm sure you can guess). If you don't like, I'll make sure to make that chapter very obviously labeled 'mature'.
> 
> If you have ideas for oneshots or things you would like to see from this world, leave a comment with your ideas!
> 
> oOo
> 
> This chapter is set after the events of Outcast - approximately two months after the end of the Mortal War.

Alec yawned, passing a hand over his face. Magnus, who was dressing in front of his full-length mirror, turned back to him, shirt only half buttoned.

               “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. Alec frowned.

               “I’m not _that_ tired,” he snapped.

               “Not that,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes. “You coming at _all_. Sure, Maryse was okay with you during the war, but I’m willing to bet that was only because we wouldn’t have saved Max without you.”

               “I think if the Inquisitor tells her, she’ll have to be okay with it,” Alec replied, “and last I checked, the Inquisitor liked me.”

               It was two months after the war’s end, and spring was around the corner. Alec could always tell because The Chairman’s allergies would get bad as soon as flowers began to bloom. The kitten’s vet was a faerie, which didn’t help his allergies too much, but she always had the best remedies for his sneezing and itchiness.

               Aldertree had been killed during the war, and the Inquisitor’s seat had sat open for a long time. Only recently had it been filled, by none other than Robert Lightwood.

               That had been just after the war’s completion, and just before his and Maryse’s divorce.

               Max had taken it alarmingly well. Robert had moved permanently to Idris and Maryse had stayed with the rest of the family in New York but had relinquished the position of Institute head to Jace. Maryse had given Max the “we both still love you and this isn’t your fault” speech, to which he had confusedly replied, “I never thought it was my fault, nor that you _didn’t_ still love me.”

               Magnus had laughed so hard he’d cried when Max approached him asking about it after.

               “Don’t tell the Inquisitor you’re gay,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes, “or he won’t be in your favor for long.”

               Before his appointment, Magnus had come out to his adoptive parents, more as a formality than out of need. Maryse, shockingly, had taken in stride that her son was gay (bisexual, Magnus tried to explain, but since it had flown right over their heads he had settled for gay). Magnus had made the comment to Alec one night that Robert had asked him what made him think he was gay, which led to a very long argument that Max and Jace finally had to break up.

               “So let’s see,” Alec said with a grin. “Maryse hates me and Robert hates you. I think that means we’re in a pretty solid relationship.”

               “What on Earth will we do at our wedding?” Magnus said with a sigh, examining three different ties looped over a hanger.

               Alec rolled his eyes. Magnus had been on a wedding kick for the past two weeks. He had been watching far too much _Say Yes to the Dress_. Magnus swore up and down that that wasn’t the cause of it, but Alec knew better.

               “We’ll elope,” Alec replied cheekily, more to get a rise out of his boyfriend than anything. The look of horror on Magnus’s face was absolutely worth it.

               “By the Angel, Alexander,” he exclaimed, “do you want me to die? We’re _going_ to have a big, fancy wedding!”

               Alec laughed and stood. “Just pick a tie and let’s go, diva queen,” he said, kissing his cheek as he walked past. “We’re going to be late. We promised Max and Kiera we would be there on time, remember?”

               Magnus sighed and picked up the electric green tie.

               “Not that one!” Alec called without turning around. Magnus stuck his tongue out at his turned back but switched it for a while sparkly one instead.

 

Izzy frowned at her watch. “Where are they?” she demanded of Jace and Clary. They both shrugged. “Can’t you track him?” she asked of Jace.

               “I could,” he said, “but if they’re in the Portal, I wouldn’t be able to sense anything. And, darling sister, the _parabatai_ bond wasn’t made so I could stalk him.”

               There was a loud rush of air and faint voices overtook whatever she was going to say next. She turned and found the Gard’s Portal spinning quickly and widening to accept whatever was on the other side.

               “…watch way too much of that show,” Alec was saying as they stepped through. Magnus had his arms crossed firmly.

               “No amount of _Four Weddings_ is too much,” Magnus insisted.

               “Magnus, there isn’t any more room on the DVR because you’ve recorded so many,” Alec snapped, exasperated. “It isn’t even your DVR!”

               Magnus was wearing black dress pants. That was the only article of clothing on him that didn’t stand out. His shirt was bright blue, his belt black and glittery, and his tie was white with rhinestones on the end. Gray platforms completed the eccentric look. He had several rings and bangles on both arms that jingled when he moved. His makeup was flawless and his highlighter shone in the witchlight.

               Alec was the exact opposite. He had a black button-up dress shirt with silver cufflinks, a black tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. A silver chain disappeared into the collar of his shirt. Where Magnus’s hair was perfectly coiffed, Alec’s was messy and unruly as ever.

               “Looking at them side by side, I sometimes wonder how it works,” Jace murmured in Izzy’s ear. “It’s like fire and water.” Izzy nodded.

               “If you would delete some of your crime shows, there would be more room,” Magnus said, shrugging. “I don’t see how that’s my problem.”

               “Hey, guys,” Alec said almost before Magnus had finished, coming forward to hug his sister. “Where are the bride and groom?”

               Izzy punched his shoulder. “Alexander, they are thirteen!”

               He laughed, shaking his head at her. “Come on, it was a joke.”

               “They’re in the Council Hall preparing,” Clary said with a smile. “The Branwells are already there.”

 

The Council Hall was massive. Alec had never been in it before now. The wide wooden doors closely mirrored those of the Sanctuary at the Institute, but that was where the resemblance stopped. The elegant brickwork, illuminated with witchlight, shone on the circular floor surrounded by several rows of raised seats around the outside. It looked more like a stadium than a conference hall. Carved into the floor was the rune of the Council—four interlocked Cs, for the Council, Consul, Clave, and Covenant.

               Magnus and Jace were laughing together, no doubt recalling their own _parabatai_ ceremony. Alec caught up with Izzy, who was scanning the ranks of the gathered Shadowhunters.

               “There they are,” he murmured, pointing. Declan, Niall, David, and Sara Branwell hadn’t seen them yet; they were all excitedly talking amongst themselves, seated in the first row above the floor. Maryse was sitting beside Sara, murmuring softly to her. Declan saw them first and raised a hand. Alec raised his back and they began making their way around the rows of chairs.

               “You remember you almost forgot the words?” Jace was joking to Magnus.

               “’Uh—whither thou goest, I will stay—go!’” Magnus mocked in a high-pitched voice, sending them both into fits of laughter again. Once they reached the Branwells, Magnus began to sit beside Declan and Jace, but at the last moment jumped the chair and stole the spot next to Alec, just behind Declan.

               “You can sit by them,” Alec said, somewhat embarrassed and feeling out of place. “You don’t have to sit by me.”

               “I want to,” Magnus said, holding his hand lightly and smiling. Heat rose up the back of Alec’s neck and he nodded awkwardly.

               Declan swiveled in his chair, grinning at Alec. The witchlight brought the scars on his face into start relief—the memory of the Circle that would never fully fade, claw marks from a werewolf that didn’t heal without Alec’s aid.

               “It’s been a long time, warlock,” he said, clapping Alec on the shoulder. “How have you been?”

               “Staying busy,” Alec replied with a chuckle. “You?”

               Declan rolled his eyes. “We’ve been keeping Warlock Toss in business—Max and Kiera have been going back and forth between London and New York for the past few months, training and working but always together. I think Mom was about to have a hernia at one point—one hyperactive pre-teen is bad enough, much less two.”

               Magnus laughed, absently drawing figures on the back of Alec’s hand with his fingertips. Alec had let his gaze wander, but he caught Maryse’s. She looked at him for a moment and turned away.

               “I guess that’s better than before,” he muttered to himself.

               “Hmm?” Magnus inquired, eyebrows raised. “What’d you say, darling?”

               “Maryse saw me,” Alec said with a sigh. “She didn’t say anything, but I can tell how little she wants me here.”

               “Give it time,” Magnus said, drumming his fingertips against Alec’s. “I’m sure she’ll come around.”

               The hall suddenly became very quiet, and it was no surprise why; Inquisitor Lightwood, in his black ceremonial robes marked with grey runes, had stepped into the center of the hall. All the Clave members had fallen silent and, by proxy, the two witnessing families.

               “Greetings, all, and I thank you for joining us today,” he said, voice echoing around the room. “Today, we join in a momentous occasion, the first one we’ve seen since the completion of the Mortal War—the joining of two families in a _parabatai_ ceremony. The two youth we join today have been studying tirelessly and dedicating much time and work to strengthening their bond, and are ready to swear their allegiance to each other in this all-important ceremony.

               “Maxwell Lightwood and Kiera Branwell, please join me,” he called, beckoning from the edge of the floor. Alec craned his neck—he hadn’t seen either child since the end of the war. Max’s hair was grown out slightly, curling at the nape of his neck now. His glasses were taped across the bridge of his nose.

               “I told him to fix those damned glasses,” Magnus muttered.

               Kiera’s long brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail at the crown of her head and she had gotten taller—she and Max stood almost at the same height now. Her jaw was set but when she and Max looked at each other they smiled.

               Robert smiled at his son, mouthing something to him before raising his voice again. “I illuminate the rings.”

               Three rings blazed up from the floor, two on either end and one in the middle. Max and Kiera, who had obviously rehearsed this, stepped into the middle circle, each one standing with their back to another.

               “What’re the two other circles for?” Alec whispered to Magnus.

               “It symbolizes each of their beings,” Magnus replied, “where the one in the middle is their joining as one—a matched set, if you will.”

               Alec frowned. “Seems superficial.”

               “We’re a race of showmen,” Magnus commented with a shrug.

               Max and Kiera gripped each other’s right hands, and the ring around them glew brighter.

               “Begin reciting the oath,” Robert ordered, “with one line to each of you.”

               Max swallowed. “Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee—”

               “—for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge,” Kiera continued. The ring burst into flames and rose to shoulder-height. Runes began to glow in the floor.

               Something throbbed sharply in Alec’s chest, and he raised a hand, touching it worriedly. _Of all the times for my demon half to fight back against my angel half, don’t you dare make it now_ , he prayed to whatever was listening.

               “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Max was blinking against the brightness of the fire.

               “Where thou diest—” Kiera’s voice broke, and the fires faltered slightly. The Clave took a collective inhale. Magnus’s hand tightened on Alec’s. Alec held his breath. He knew, without even looking into her mind, she was recalling the night of the war, where they had almost lost him.

               Max’s eyes widened, but Kiera started again. “Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.”

               The room released its breath at once, almost audibly, as if on cue. Max seemed to relax.

               “The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me,” Max finished. The two outer circles fizzled out and the middle one rose higher, almost engulfing their figures. Alec’s chest tightened and he sucked a sharp breath.

               “Now place the Marks of brotherhood upon each other’s skin!” Robert ordered.

               Alec doubled over, gasping, as the light in the room flickered in time with the throbbing in his chest. One hand flew to his mouth as his stomach heaved and threatened to vomit.

               “Alexander,” Magnus gasped at the same time Jace exclaimed, “Alec!”

               “Don’t—sweat it,” Alec gasped, blinking away tears. “I’m okay—I’m okay.”

               _This is what you get for entering in the house of angels, my son_.

               Alec shut his eyes. “Who said that?”

               Kiera had her shirt pulled to her ribs as Max put the finishing lines on her side, completing her half of the Mark. She flipped her stele from her pocket and on the same side of Max’s abdomen Marked him as well. Alec was struggling for air, his chest tightening more and more—

               “It is finished.”

               The fires vanished in a flash of smoke, as did the pain. Alec sucked in a huge breath, hugely grateful that he hadn’t vomited. He sat up, breathing hard. Jace, Magnus, Declan, Niall, Clary and Isabelle were all staring at him, Jace half out of his chair. Alec shook his head, nodding toward the two children standing amid the circle burned in the floor.

               Kiera and Max had fallen into a hug, each gripping the other. Max was speaking in her ear and Kiera was laughing. The assembled Clave members began to clap, standing and smiling at the young Shadowhunters. The two families did as well, Alec struggling slightly. He rose to his feet and lack of air made his head spin. He caught Magnus’s upper arm in his hand, and his boyfriend put an arm around his back.

               “These two are now forever joined in the bonds of brotherhood,” Robert announced over the tumult that had risen. “Congratulations to them!”

 

“What was that?” Magnus asked. They hung back as the Lightwoods and Branwells congratulated the newly bonded _parabatai_. “During the ceremony.”

               Alec shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “As soon as the runes started to fire up on the floor, my chest started to hurt, and then when the outer rings burned out it seized my whole body. I thought I was going to be sick. I assume it was just the angelic ceremony, and my being…not.”

               “You said, ‘who said that’ at one point,” Magnus recalled, brow furrowed in worry. “Something happened in there, Alexander—aren’t you worried?”

               _Yes_ , Alec thought. _The voice said ‘my son’. What if that was my father? What if my father knows I exist and is able to contact me from the demon realms? What kind of power does he have to have? What if he threatens me or the people I care about? How can I protect them—especially you, Magnus?_

               Instead of vocalizing any of that, Alec smiled and brushed Magnus’s highlighted cheek with the back of his hand. “I’m not,” he said. “I’m sure it was just the fact that I’m part demon in an angelic place. I’m okay now, aren’t I?”

               Magnus didn’t look convinced but turned his head and kissed Alec’s palm. “If you’re sure, darling.”

               “I am,” Alec replied with a smile. “Now come on, let’s go congratulate the kids.”

 

That night, Alec rose from bed after Magnus had fallen asleep. He headed into his walk-in closet, pulling the door shut behind him silently.

               He flicked on the light, squinting in the sudden brightness. In the back, behind his sweaters, Alec placed a hand on the wall and murmured an incantation. His fingers glew softly blue and a small door materialized, with a tiny knocker-like grasp in the shape of a dragon. He pulled the drawer open and inside sat a small, weathered scroll, worn from constant unrolling and rerolling.

               Tessa Gray of the Spiral Labyrinth had found it and had only handed it over after much bickering, pleading, threatening, and bargaining from Alec. She had warned not to attempt the spell unless he had it memorized like he knew his own name and he knew he wouldn’t hesitate. If he hesitated, she warned, it could kill not only him but spell disaster for the whole Shadow World, for if he was unable to close the rift this would open, nothing would.

               Alec picked it up gingerly, as if it were a live fuse, and unrolled it. He read over the slim handwriting several times, smudged in places like the writer had been shaking. Thinking of the Council Hall and Tessa’s warning, he began to whisper to himself, determined to commit it to memory.

               “Mine father, who art in Hell, unhallowed be thy name…”


End file.
